This invention relates to a hair cleansing composition excellent in the effect of improving optical or mechanical properties of hair.
Concerning conventional hair cleansing compositions, their effect of improving optical or mechanical properties of hair, such as luster, softness, body and the like, is either temporary or insufficient.
JP 10-236927 A discloses a hair treatment composition for supplying a precursor of a hair-united lipofatty acid to hair follicles, in which (i) a first fatty acid precursor selected from leucine, isoleucine, methionine or valine, (ii) a second fatty acid precursor selected from a saccharide or a mono-, di- or tri-carboxylic acid and (iii) an anionic, amphoteric or cationic surfactant has been added. However, this invention was created by drawing a hint from the fact that the above-described components (i) and (ii) act as a precursor of a hair-united lipofatty acid for hair follicles. It is therefore impossible to predict from this invention what components should be added for the improvement of optical or mechanical properties of hair.
The present invention therefore has as an object the provision of a hair cleansing composition excellent in the effect of improving optical or mechanical properties of hair.
The present inventors have found that combined use of glycine or alanine and a specific acid compound with an anionic surfactant at a particular ratio makes it possible to obtain a hair cleansing composition excellent in the effect of improving optical or mechanical properties of hair such luster, softness, body and the like.
This invention therefore provides a hair cleansing composition comprising the following components:
The component (A) for use in the present invention is glycine or alanine of these, particularly preferred are glycine and xcex1-alanine.
As the component (A), glycine and alanine may be used in combination. The component (A) is added in a proportion of from 0.01 to 20 wt. %, preferably from 0.05 to 10 wt. %, notably from 0.1 to 5 wt. % based on the whole composition. This range is preferred in imparting color deepness to hair.
Among acids usable as the component (B) in the present invention, illustrative a-hydroxy acids and xcex2-hydroxy acids can include glycolic acid, lactic acid, methylacetic acid, mandelic acid, 4-hydroxymandelic acid, 3-hydroxy-4-methoxymandelic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)lactic acid, 3-(4xe2x80x2-hydroxyphenyl)lactic acid, 3,4-dihydromandelic acid, glyceric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, and citric acid.
Further, illustrative 1,2-dicarboxylic acids and 1,3-dicarboxylic acids can include malonic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, and fumaric acid. Illustrative aromatic carboxylic acids can include benzoic acid, phthalic acid, and salicylic acid.
Among these, malic acid, succinic acid and maleic acid are particularly preferred.
As the component (B), one or more of the above-described acids can be used. The component (B) is added in a proportion of from 0.01 to 5 wt. %, preferably from 0.05 to 3 wt. %, notably from 0.1 to 2 wt. % based on the whole composition. This range is preferred in imparting transparency to hair.
The anionic surfactant for use as the component (C) in the present invention is selected from alkylsulfuric acid salts, alkylethersulfuric acid salts and N-alkylamidoalkanolsulfuric acid ester salts. Surfactants tants other than these anionic surfactants cannot provide foam in sufficient volume so that no softness can be imparted to hair upon foaming.
Of these, particularly preferred are alkylsulfuric acid salts containing alkyl groups of 10 to 16 carbon atoms, polyoxyethylene alkylethersulfuric acid salts containing alkyl groups of 10 to 20 carbon atoms and added with 1 to 5 moles on average of ethylene oxide in the molecule, and N-alkylamidoalkanolsulfuric ester salts represented by the following formula (1): 
wherein R1 represents an alkyl or alkenyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms, R2 represents an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1 to 22 carbon atoms or a hydrogen atom, R3 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, R4O represents an oxyalkylene group having 2 to 3 carbon atoms, n stands for a number of from 0 to 20, n R4Os may be the same or different, and M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an ammonium group, an alkanolammonium group having 2 to 9 carbon atoms in total, an alkylammonium or alkenylammonium group having 1 to 22 carbon atoms in total, an alkyl- or alkenyl-substituted pyridinium group, said alkyl or alkenyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or a basic amino acid residue.
These anionic surfactants may be used either singly or in combination. The anionic surfactant is added in a proportion of from 5 to 40 wt. %, preferably from 5 to 30 wt. %, notably from 10 to 20 wt. % based on the whole composition. A proportion smaller than 5 wt. % cannot provide sufficient cleansing power, while a proportion greater than 40 wt. % cannot provide an adequate viscosity.
To the hair cleansing composition according to the present invention, (D) a cationic polymer can be added further. This cationic polymer can improve the manageability and touch of hair further.
Illustrative of the cationic polymer are cationized cellulose derivatives, cationic starch, cationized guar gum derivatives, homopolymers of diallyl quaternary ammonium salts, diallyl quaternary ammonium salt/acrylamide copolymers, quaternized polyvinylpyrrolidone derivatives, polyglycolpolyamine condensation products, vinylimidazolium trichloride/vinylpyrrolidone copolymer, hydroxyethylcellulose/dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride copolymer, vinylpyrrolidone/quaternized dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone/alkyl aminoacrylate copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone/alkyl aminoacrylate/vinylcaprolactam copolymers, vinylpyrrolidone/methacrylamidopropylchlorotrimethyl ammonium copolymer, alkylacrylamide/acrylate/alylaminoalkylacrylamide/polyethylene glycol methacrylate copolymers, adipic acid/dimethylaminohydroxypropylethylenetriamine copolymer (xe2x80x9cCartaretinxe2x80x9d, trade mark; product of Sandoz Chemical Corp., U.S.A.), and cationic polymers disclosed in JP 53-139734 A and JP 60-36407.
Among these, cationized cellulose derivatives are preferred.
These cationic polymers may be used either singly or in combination. The cationic polymer is added in a proportion of from 0.01 to 5 wt. %, preferably from 0.05 to 2 wt. %, notably from 0.1 to 1 wt. % based on the whole composition.
To the hair cleansing composition according to the present invention, (E) a silicone can be added further. This silicone can provide hair with nongreasiness.
Preferred examples of the silicone are methyl-siloxanes represented by the following formula (2): 
wherein R5 represents a methyl or phenyl group, R6 represents a methyl or hydroxyl group, and m stands for a number of from 100 to 2,000.
These silicones may be used either singly or in combination. The silicone is added in a proportion of from 0.01 to 10 wt. %, preferably from 0.1 to 5 wt. %, notably 0.5 to 3 wt. % based on the whole composition.
To the hair cleansing composition according to the present invention, surfactants other than those described above, cosmetic oils, dyes, reducing agents, oxidizing agents, metal chelates, antioxidants, viscosity modifiers, preservatives, animal and plant extracts, antiphlogistics, disinfectants, antidandruff agents, oxidation inhibitors, pearlants, ultraviolet absorbers, pH regulators, colors, solvent, perfumes and the like can be added as desired in addition to the above-described components.
The pH of the hair cleansing composition according to the present invention may preferably range from 2 to 12, with pH 4 to 8 being particularly preferred.